Ventilator



Jn. 4, 1949. M. c. voLKMANN l-:T AL 2,458,324

VENTILATOR Filed Jan. 1, 1945 [flu NMi

2 www z W @o m .4M E

BY @www Patented Jan. 4, 1949 vENTILArQR -Manrice C. Volkmann andClarence A. Johnson, Elkhart, I-nd., said' Johnson assigner to saidVolkmann Application January 1, 1945., ScrialNo. 570,960

. a 2 Claims. 1 f

This invention relatesto improvements in ventilators. The invention isparticularly adaptedfor use on vehicles such as house trailers, vbusesand the like.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- Vide a device of thischaracter which is Simple in construction, easy to install and easy toadjust and operate.

A further object is to lprovide a device ofv this' character which canbe' .adjusted to take advantage of the wind, regardless of itsdirection, to produce movement of air therethrough.

A further object is to provide a device of this character whichy coversan yopening in the roof deck of a vehicle and is so constructedthatrsnow or rain is prevented from entering `the trailer therethroughwhile it is open.

A further object is to provide a device ofthis character which can besealed to Vprevent escape of heat from the vehicle -in cold weather.

A further object is -toprovide adevice of this character having aplurality'vofi-closure A elements and simple and novel means foroperating said elements.

Other objects will be apparent-from the dscription and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a Vside view of the device mounted upon a vehicleroof deckshown-in section.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken online 2 2 of Fig.l;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan .view ofxthe device as installed, with the roofdeck broken away to expose the upper part of the device'.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral lil designates the roof or deck of a vehicle,such as a house trailer, bus or the like. The roof is illustrated asformed with transverse bows or studding Il, an interior ceiling panel l2secured to said bows, and a plywood or like outer panel I3 covered withweatherproof sheet material l 1i, An opening is formed in the roof I atthe point at which the ventilator is to be positioned, and this openingis lined with panels I5, such as composition board, to seal and maintaina dead air space within the hollow roof structure.

The ventilator is secured to the roof to cover said ventilation opening.The ventilator comprises a hood member having vertical side walls i6with curved upper portions or edges which taper to a point at theirfront ends. A top panel Il' spans the upper edges of the side walls andis longitudinally curved as illustrated in Fig. 1

(Cl. SiS-20.)

with its front edge engaging vdeck I0' and its rear edge spaced abovesaid deck. A vertical rear end wall I8 closes the rear of the hood?` andis preferably positioned forwardly relative to the rea-r edges' oftheside walls and' top panel. The hoodV has marginalflang'es I9 by'vgmeansof whicb it is secured to the roof deck.v The hood member is preferablyof a size such that it engages ythe roof in outwardly spaced relation tothe -edges oi-fthe .Ventilating roof opening.

Each of the side walls llli-and end wall I8 hasy an opening-2{0-thereinwhich ispreierablyspan-- ned by screen material 2I -permanently securedto said=hood member. A-closure=plate22 ispivoted` at 2'3 at its upperedge above eachv of said openings 2l);V A bracket'24 is secured to eachclosure plate `22 adjacent its upper v.end and projects inwardlytherefrom. preferably passing through an opening inscreen-ZI'. l

lA channel 25-extends longitudinally -witliin'lthe hood vmember, beingIsecured to said hood at the rear -thereof by -a `bracket A26, and4being welded or otherwise secured to or vsupported by the top panel l1at its vfront end. ,Channe1'2'5' is preferably supported with its upperedge slightlybelowl the top edges of openings v2llgvand brackets 24. Aplurality -of vertical-rods' 2='l are journaled in the upper and lowerflanges of channel v25-in spaced relation. lIlhe upper end-portionsofrrods 21 are bent `laterally at `28- and may bear upon theupper` surface of channel 25 to -support or suspend said rods relativeto said channel. The` terminal portions `29 of rods 2T extendrparallelto.` the rodsin olf-set' relation to -form cranks. A plurality -of links'302, which are preferably twistedintermediate-their ends-,are-pivotallyconnected at their outer ends to the respective vbrackets 24 and may beapertured at their inner ends to lit snugly but rotatably around crankportions 29 of the respective rods 21. Suitable means, such asa cotterpin, prevents displacement of said links from said rods. It will beunderstood that the number of rods and links will preferably equal thenumber of closures 22, so that separate operating means will be providedfor each closure; but this individual control is not essential, and asingle rod may have all links connected thereto, as by means of a spider(not shown) to form a single control for all closures.

A grill 3| is preferably secured to the inner deck panel l2 to span theVentilation opening, for decorative purposes. Grill 3| has a pluralityof openings 32 therein accommodating free passage of air therethrough,and has a central web 33 parallel to and vertically aligned with channely25. This web has openings therein snugly and rotatably receiving andpositioning the lower ends of rods 2l. Each rod 21 preferably mounts anoperating knob 34 at its lower end adjacent tol i and below the grill 3l.

The parts of the closure operating means are so proportioned that whenthe crank portion of the rod is aligned with and extends AdiametrcallylIn this connection, the rotation of the 1,

".roof of a Vehicle at a Ventilating opening, com.

.prising a hood member havingupright side and rear Walls and a forwardlyinclined member forming a topl and front, said upright walls eachhavlease of the parts incident to movement of the:

vehicle over rough roads. At the opposite aligned position of the crankand link, the closure is held in its open position as illustrated,preferably inclined approximately 60 rom the Verticalf" In this openposition, the closure shields-thei opening eiectively, particularly whenit is some-y what larger than the opening.

`I t will be apparent that when the vehicle is traveling with the rearclosure 22 open, a suction will be created which will draw air from 125Likewise, vwhen the vehicle, such as a house trailthe vehicle interiorfor ventilation purposes.

er, is parked, onezor moreof the closures mayj be opened according tothedirection ofthe Wind,

to take -full advantage of such prevailing conditions forthe purpose 4ofcreating .a draft which will'cause. a flow of air in'either an inward oran outward'direction, -as may be desired.v

The device possesses lmany additional advan-` tages for its intended.purpose.

sive. .The 4shape and constructionof the hood member,A and the relationthereof to the ventilation opening eilectively prevent leakage of snow`or rain into the vehicle when the ventilator is open,fsovthat"ventilation can be obtained in adverse weather conditions.

appearance from'both thefexterior and interior of the vehicle. Thethree-pointrotatable connection and=support Of-,the operating rodsprovides. a sturdyconstruction," and the v.operating kno-bs 1 arereadily accessible but out of the way.v

We claim:

rear walls and a forwardly inclined member forming a top and front, saidupright walls each having an opening, a closure for each wall opening,

pivoted atits upper edge above said opening, a

rigid vbracket secured to lsaid top and positioned' The device is *easytov instal1, and presents .a Ypleasing and unobtrusive Thus ltheconstruction is simple vand comparatively. inexpen-` within said hood,said bracket including an elongated member having a pair of verticallyspaced substantially horizontal rigid' weby portions, eachA having aplurality of apertures substantially vertically aligned with aperturesin the other web portion, and a plurality of closure operators eachincluding an operating member journaled in one. setof alignedWebapertures and extending down'- wardly through said roof opening. n

2. A ventilator adapted to be mounted on the ing` an opening, a 'closurefor each' wall Opening pivoted atits upper edge above said opening, a

bracket.,secured Vwithin and adjacent to the top of said hood, lsaid:bracket including a rigid'chan'- nelimember having a pair of spacedparallel horizontal anges, said flanges having verticallyand axiallyaligned apertures therein, and a plurality of closure operators eachincluding an elongated operating member journaled in a pair of alignedflange apertures and extending downwardlyv through saidroofopening, anda grill adapted. to

span .said roof opening at the inner surface of said=roof. andlfia'vin'g` apertures journaling said` operating members in spacedrelation and below REFERNCESl CITED y The following references are` ofrecord-in the file-fof? this patent:`

UNITED sTaTEs PATENTS Number Name Date 600,975 Andrew Mar. 22, 1898793,982 rI Bonnett July 4, 1905 932,659 r Welker Aug. 31, 1909 1,070,312l Wilson Aug. 12, 1 913 y .1,071,729 Garland l ,Sept. 2, 1913v 1,128,166Manning Feb. 9, 1915" 13891788 :Steger Sept. 6, 1,575,126 Peterman Mar.2, 1926 1,713,870 Havens May 21, 1929 1,670,784 Schuetz May 22, 19281,742,1851 Bourke- Jan. 7, 1930 2,089,060- Harley` Aug. 3,1937 2,372,164WoodhamsV Mar. 20,1945

' i vIiOREIGrN PATENTS Number Country A Date Germany Nov. 10, 1904

